Ernest Callenbach Knihy

"The Complete Ecotopia presents, for the first time, an early classic of environmental science fiction in its entirety"-- Provided by publisher

The premise of a Pacific Northwest secession from the USA may seem far-fetched, yet the vivid portrayal of a society grounded in a stable-state ecosystem is thought-provoking. This aligns with economist Herman Daly's steady-state economics and Robert Costanza's work in Ecological Economics, presenting a viable alternative to outdated neoclassical theories. Central to this social model is the principle that resource consumption must not exceed sustainable limits, with pollution and waste treated as integral costs in economic decision-making. Recycling is prioritized, and low-technology solutions are favored over high-tech alternatives. The philosophy embraced by Ecotopians reflects a deep reverence for nature, akin to James Lovelock's Gaia hypothesis and Edward O. Wilson's Biophilia concept. The characters are engaging, with women often taking on dominant roles, and their passionate, quirky nature adds depth. A neomalthusian approach to population regulation highlights the critical issue of overpopulation and resource scarcity. The intriguing chapter on ritual war games raises questions about competitive aggression in males. While some creative solutions to social issues may seem impractical, they provoke thought. For further exploration, consider works like Joseph Tainter's "The Collapse of Complex Societies" and Thomas Homer-Dixon's "Environment, Scarcity & Violence." The unsustainable nature of contemporary American culture

Ecotopia was founded when northern California, Oregon, and Washington seceded from the Union to create a "stable-state" ecosystem: the perfect balance between human beings and the environment. Now, twenty years later, the isolated, mysterious Ecotopia welcomes its first officially sanctioned American visitor: New York Times-Post reporter Will Weston. Like a modern Gulliver, the skeptical Weston is by turns impressed, horrified, and overwhelmed by Ecotopia's strange practices: employee ownership of farms and businesses, the twenty-hour work week, the fanatical elimination of pollution, mini-cities that defeat overcrowding, devotion to trees bordering on worship, a woman-dominated government, and bloody, ritual war games. Bombarded by innovative, unsettling ideas, set afire by a relationship with a sexually forthright Ecotopian woman, Weston's conflict of values intensifies-and leads to a startling climax